Newspaper Morals
During an era characterized by muckraking and sensationalism, the social critic H. L. Mencken decried the tendency of popular newspapers to appeal to the unsophisticated instincts of the masses. (March 1914)
Advertisement
For more than 150 years, The Atlantic has celebrated the moral and intellectual bravery of leaders who espouse unpopular or controversial positions. In this special report, our second annual, we highlight men and women who embody this great tradition today.
During an era characterized by muckraking and sensationalism, the social critic H. L. Mencken decried the tendency of popular newspapers to appeal to the unsophisticated instincts of the masses. (March 1914)
In 2009, The Atlantic's Brave Thinkers issue featured newsmakers like Jeff Zucker and Ben Bernanke along with innovators like Montgomery McFate, a social scientist reshaping the way we approach war. A look at how their bold initiatives have fared in the past year.
In 2004, the novelist and essayist Walter Kirn took stock of Warren Buffett —"the greatest investor in America's history" — offering insight into the man, his methods, and his outsize symbolism. (November 2004)
Two years before Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique articulated “the problem that has no name,” novelist and essayist Nora Johnson described the frustrations of the well-educated homemaker. (June 1961)
Seven years after the Rwandan genocide, journalist and activist Samantha Power explored in chilling detail why no one intervened. The piece was later incorporated in her book, A Problem From Hell, which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2003. (September 2001)
In 1949, the philosopher and historian Isaiah Berlin paid tribute to the character and writings of Winston Churchill, whose gift, he argued, was his "historical imagination"—a capacity to imbue contemporary events and actors with epic significance. (September 1949)
|
Robert SarverLast spring, when Arizona legislators adopted the country’s toughest stance on illegal immigration, Suns owner Robert Sarver adopted the NBA’s most diverse uniforms – a sartorial protest that was also a bold reminder that sports and politics do mix. |
